Capless fountain pen



1969 AKIMASA YANAGISAWA ETAL 3,427,112

CAPLESS FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Dec. 26, 1967 Sheet of 2 FIG. 1

AKIMASA YANAGISAWA. KEmcuI KAN 8:.

TSUNENDEI SAND AMI TADASHI ISHII INVENTORS BYIAIMJMJLxS-LL F 1969 AKIMASA YANAGISAWA ETAL 3,427,112

CAPLESS FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Dec. 26, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 660 IOCI 47G 50 Ammsn YANGISAWA. KENICH! mmnz. 'rsuueaom sumo m TADASH mm INVENTORS United States Patent O 3,427,112 CAPLESS FOUNTAIN PEN Akimasa Yanagisawa, Naka-gun, Kanagawa-ken, Kenichi Kanbe, Koza-gun, KanagaWa-ken, Tsunenori Sano, Hiratsuka-shi, and Tadashi Ishii, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa-ken, Japan, assignors to Pilot Man-New Hitsu Kahushiki Kaisha, Kyohashi, Tokyo-to, Japan Filed Dec. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 693,439 US. Cl. 401-107 Int. Cl. B431; 24/02, 3/04 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of writing instruments and more particularly to so-called capless fountain pens not requiring supplementary caps to cover and protect their writing ends.

More specifically, the invention concerns a new and improved capless fountain pen provided with a writing unit including a nib adapted to slide under the force of gravity within the pen barrel to project and retract the nib and a closing member operable by a hand manipulable actuating mechanism to open and close a front opening in the pen barrel for passage of the nib and to lock the writing unit in writing position.

Capless fountain pens heretofore known in the prior art, in general, have been provided with a closing mechanism and a projecting-retracting mechanism. The closing mechanism includes a closing lid or shutter for opening and closing a front opening in the pen barrel for passage of the writing member including a nib of a writing unit, the lid or shutter tightly closing the front opening when the writing member is retracted thereby to prevent drying of the ink in the writing member and infiltration of dust and adhering thereof to the writing member. The projecting-retracting mechanism is manually actuated and operates to move the writing unit forward from a position at which the writing member is in retracted position to a position at which the writing member is projected forward through the front opening in a writable state and to lock the writing unit in this writing position. The projectingretracting mechanism further operates to unlock the writing unit and to retract the writing member into retracted position within the barrel.

However, since the above described closing mechanism and projecting-retracting mechanism are constructed separately, they have the disadvantageous tendency to complicate the organization and operation of the fountain pen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a capless fountain pen of simplified organization and operation in which a projecting-retracting mechanism as described above is unnecessary, the writing unit being adapted to move within and along the barrel under the force of gravity, and the writing member of the writing unit is locked in the writing position 'by a closing mechanism for opening and closing the front opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide a capless fountain pen of the above stated character in which the closing mechanism cannot operate unless a hand-manipulable actuating mechanism for actuating the closing mechanism in opening and closing operation is manipulated, the actuating mechanism thereby functioning doubly as a safety means for preventing unintentional projection of the writing member out of the pen barrel.

According to the present invention, briefly summarized, there is provided a capless fountain pen comprising a case with a front opening at its writing end, a closing mechanism with a closing member for opening and closing the front opening, an actuating mechnaism having an actuating member actuatable from outside of the case to actuate the closing member, and a writing unit consisting of the integral combination of a writing member including a pen nib, an ink reservoir device, and an ink feed member connecting the writing member and the ink reservoir device, the writing unit being free to slide within the case between retraction and projection positions at which, respectively, the writing member is retracted within and projected outward from the case, the writing unit in the projection position being locked by the closing mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The nature, utility, and details of organization and operation of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which all views are enlarged views, and in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in longitudinal section, showing one example of a capless fountain pen embodying the invention in the state wherein the writing member of a writing unit is accommodated in retracted position within an inner cylinder;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane indicated by line IIII in FIG. 1, in which the writing unit is omitted;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane indicated by line IIIIII in FIG. 1, in which the writing unit is omitted;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged, side elevational view, in longitudinal section, showing the front part of the inner cylinder and outer parts of the pen illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged, front elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the left;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, front elevational view of the inner cylinder shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, front elevational view of the lid of the inner cylinder shown in FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary bottom view at the part and in the direction indicated by line VIIIVIII in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view, in longitudinal section with parts cut away and with certain parts deleted, showing the writing unit of the pen illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view, in longitudinal section, of the front part of the pen illustrated in FIG. 1 with the writing member of the writing unit in the writing state wherein it is projecting outside of the inner cylinder;

FIG. 11 is a partial side elevational view, with parts in longitudinal section, showing the front part of another example of a pen embodying the invention with the writing member of the writing unit in the retracted state within the inner cylinder;

FIG. 12 is a further enlarged, front elevational view showing the inner cylinder and lid of the pen shown in FIG. 11; and

the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 10, the example shown therein of a capless fountain pen according to the invention has a metal front barrel or case 1, into which a synthetic resin inner cylinder 2 is inserted. Between its front end 10 and its middle part, the inner cylinder 2 has a part 3 of reduced outer diameter, around the outer surface of which a metal sleeve 4 is fitted. A synthetic resin sleeve 5 is fitted around the outer surface of the metal sleeve 4.

An annular space 7 is formed between a stepped shoulder 6 formed around the inner cylinder 2 and the rear end face of the sleeve 5. Around the outer surface of the sleeve 5, there is fitted a cap-like metal cylinder 9 constituting the front end part of the case 1 and having an inclined front wall provided with an aperture 8, which is aligned on the same longitudinal axis with a front opening 11 of the front end part 10 of the inner cylinder 2. A

chamber is formed within the cylinder 9 between the front 7 wall thereof and the front end face of the inner cylinder 2. The front opening 11 at this front end face can be opened and closed by a lid 26, described hereinafter, which is actuated by a mechanism of the following description.

A metal strip is formed into the shape of a split ring having an inner diameter which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the reduced diameter part 3 of the inner cylinder 2, and this ring constituting an actuating member 12 is fitted slidably around the reduced diameter part 3 and disposed within the aforementioned space 7. An elastic spring member 14 having a hook-like shape in side view is fixed at its hook part to the actuating member 12 so that it protrudes out of the case 1 through a slot .15 at the upper part of the case, and its shank outside of the case is directed toward the rear and is inserted into the interior of a clip 16, the rear free end 17 of the shank of the spring member 14 being fixed to the inner wall surface of a bul bous end part 18 of the clip 16. The spring member 14 is so formed as to be prestressed in a manner to press the bulbous end part 18 constantly toward the case 1 in the I conventional manner.

Cutout slots 19 and 20 are provided at the lower part of the actuating member 12 as shown in FIG. 8. A metal connecting member 21 in the form of a long and narrow strip of a width less than that of cutout slot 19 is inserted in the cutout slot 19 and, at the same time, is inserted in a cutout 22 having approximately the same width as cutout slot 19 and provided at the lower part of the aforementioned sleeve 4. The rear end 23 of the connecting member 21 is fixed by welding to the actuating member 12, and, at the same time, a projecting part 24 provided at the rear end 23 is fitted in the cutout slot 20. A coil compression spring 25 is interposed between the aforementioned stepped shoulder 6 and the actuating member 12 to impart a spring force on the actuating member 12 toward the metal cylinder 9.

The mechanism for closing the front opening 11 of the front end of the inner cylinder 2 has the following organization. The opening 11 is closed by a synthetic resin lid 26 having a lower edge part 28 of semicylindrical form which extends outward toward both lateral sides and forms the lower parts of cylindrical trunnions 27 projecting laterally from the lid 26. These trunnions 27 and the lower edge part 28 are rotatably supported by support parts 29, as shown in FIG. 6, whereby the lid can be swung about the axis of the trunnions 27 to open and close the opening 11.

A metal push member 30 of curved profile in section is inserted and fitted in a groove or recess 31 on the front side of the lid 26, and the lower end 32 of this push member 30 is inserted through a slot 34 provided at the front end 33 of the connecting member 21. Since, as mentioned hereinabove, the actuating member 12. is acted upon by a force imparted by the spring 25, the lower end 32 of the push member 30 is pressed by the edge of the slot 34. Consequently, the projecting lugs 35 on the lateral sides of the push member 30 are pressed into contact with erect parts 36 at the end of the sleeve 4 and caused to be thus supported at that position. The push member 30 thereby presses the lid 26 toward the end face 37 of the front end 10 of the inner cylinder 2, whereby the lid 26 is in tight contact with the end face 37.

A guide groove 38 is provided in the axial direction in the inner wall surface of the inner cylinder 2 at the upper middle part thereof. To the rear of this guide groove 38, there is disposed a connecting sleeve (or nipple) 40 having screw threads on the outer surface of its rear end and an axial groove 39 of the same width as the guide groove 38. A sleeve 41 is fitted around the outer surface of the connecting sleeve 40 at its forward part without the screw threading. A ring 42 having an outer surface flush with the outer surface of the pen case 1 is fitted around the outer surface of the sleeve 41. The groove 39 of the connecting sleeve 40 and the guide groove 38 of the inner cylinder 2 are aligned on the same longitudinal axis, and the sleeve 41 is fixed to the inner surface of the rear end 13 of the inner cylinder 2. A synthetic resin rear (or tail) case 43 is detachably screwed onto the rear end of the connecting sleeve 40.

The inner cylinder 2 contains therewithin a writing unit 44 of the following organization. As shown in FIG. 9, a feed bar holding cylinder 47 extends forward from the front opening 46 of a metal feed bar cover 45, and a feed bar 48 constituting an ink flow or feed member is inserted and fitted in the feed bar cover and the feed bar holding cylinder 47. Between the feed bar cover 45 and the feed bar 48, there is inserted a cylinder 51 provided at its rear end with an actuating part for opening the sealing part of a replaceable type ink cartridge 49 containing ink and constituting an ink reservoir. The front open end 52 of the ink cartridge 49 is so formed that it can be fitted onto and around the rear end of the cylinder 51, at which time the actuating part 50 of the cylinder 51 contacts and rotates a sealing disk 53 to its opened position indicated by full line in FIG. 9 from its original closed position as indicated by chain line at which the disk 53 was tightly fitted against the cylindrical inner surface of the ink cartridge 49 to seal the ink within the cartridge, whereupon the ink within the cartridge is released and flows through the feed bar 48.

A metal block of a lateral width slightly less than that of the aforementioned guide groove 38 of the inner cylinder 2 is secured by welding onto the upper rear part of the feed bar cover 45 to form a projection 54. The front open end 56 of an ink cartridge cover is extractably fitted into the rear end of the feed bar cover 45. A pen point or nib 57 constituting a part of the Writing member is mounted on the front tip 58 of the feed bar 48, the rear or root part 59 of the nib 57 being held by the feed bar holding cylinder 47 and the feed bar 48, and the lateral side parts 60 of the nib 57 pressing against the outer surface of feed bar holding cylinder 47.

While the ink reservoir has been described above with respect to one example thereof in the form of a replaceable ink cartridge, it is also possible to use ink reservoirs of other types as, for example, one in which an ink suction device is provided to draw in ink through the front tip of the feed bar when the reservoir is detachably connected to a cylinder enclosing the feed bar.

The above described writing unit 44 is inserted into assembled state within the inner cylinder 2 by unscrewing the rear case 43 off the connecting sleeve 40, inserting the writing unit 44 into the inner cylinder 2 as the projection 54 on the writing unit is fitted into and caused to slide along the groove 39 of the connecting sleeve 40 and the guide groove 38 of the inner cylinder 2, and then screwing the rear case 43 onto the connecting sleeve 40.

The lower part of the feed bar cover 45 of the writing unit 44 is adapted to slide freely along the inner bottom surface of the inner cylinder 2. Accordingly when the entire pen is tilted so that the writin g end points downward, the writing unit 44 shifts toward the aperture 8 in the front cylinder 9 under the force of gravity as the projection 54 is guided by the guide groove 38 of the inner cylinder 2. Conversely, when the writing end of the pen is turned upward, the writing unit 44 shifts toward the rear under the force of gravity as the projection 54 is guided by the guide groove 38 until rear end face 61 of the ink cartridge cover 55 abuts against and is stopped by a stepped ledge 62 provided in the interior of the rear case 43.

The fountain pen essentially of the above described organization according to the present invention operates in the following manner. At the time of writing, the writing end of the pen is pointed downward, and clip 16 is moved toward the rear (arrow direction A in FIG. 1), whereupon actuating member 12 and connecting member 21 also move in the same direction. Consequently, the part of push member inserted in recess 31 of lid 26 rotates away from front end face 37 of inner cylinder 2 about a pivot afforded by the parts of projecting lugs 35 of push member 30 contacting erect parts 36 of inner cylinder 2 as projecting lugs 35 remain in contact with erect parts 36.

Accordingly, lid 26 is swung in the same direction and caused to separate away from front end face 37 thereby to open front opening 11 of inner cylinder 2. Lid 26 is thus rotated through an amply large angle so as to prevent feed bar holding cylinder 47 of writing unit 44 and pen nib 57 from striking lid 26 and thereby being obstructed in moving toward aperture 8 in front cylinder 9. Pen nib 57 thus passes through front opening '11 and projects forward and out through aperture 8, the forward movement of writing unit 44 being limited by the abutment of front end face 63 of feed bar cover against a stepped part 64 formed in the interior of inner cylinder 2.

When, with the writing unit 44 in this state, clip 16 in released from its position of displacement in the rear direction, actuating member 12 moves forward, and lid 26 swings toward front end face 37 of inner cylinder 2. As a result, an engagement part 65 of flat shape provided on lid 26 contacts and engages with an engagement part 66 of stepped shape provided at the lower part of feed bar holding cylinder 47, whereby writing unit 44 is locked, and the fountain pen is then in a writing state as shown in FIG. 10.

The pen nib 57 of the writing unit 44 is retracted into the interior of the inner cylinder 2 for protective housing therein by the following procedure. Cli 16 is moved rearward (in direction A of FIG. 1), whereupon the part of push member 30 inserted in recess 31 of lid 26 rotates away from front end face 37 of inner cylinder 2 to cause lid 26 to swing in the same direction. Engaging part 65 at the upper end of lid 26 is thereby disengaged from stepped part 65 of feed bar holding cylinder 47. The pen is then turned so that the writing end points upward, whereupon writing unit 44 shifts rearward, and nib 57 retracts into the interior of inner cylinder 2. Then, when clip 16 is released from its rearward position, lid 26 is pressed tightly against front end face 37 of inner cylinder 2 to seal front opening 11 thereof.

Another embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, in which the parts which have been omitted are of the same construction as corresponding parts in the above described first example of the invention. Where the parts of this second example and portions thereof are the same as those in the first example, these parts and portions are designated by the same reference numerals. Where the parts and portions thereof of this second example are not the same as but are equivalent or homologous to those in the first example, these parts and portions in the second example are designated by the same reference numerals respectively followed by the subscript a.

A synthetic resin inner cylinder 2,, is fitted in a metal barrel or case 1,, and a synthetic resin cylinder 5 is fitted around a reduced diameter par-t 3 (of the same outer diameter as part 3 of inner cylinder 2) of inner cylinder 2,. An annular space 7 is formed between a stepped shoulder 6 of the inner cylinder 2 and the rear and face of the cylinder 5 around which a cylinder 9 is fitted, the cylinder 9 having a front aperture 8 which is aligned coaxially with a front opening 11, in the front and part 10 of the inner cylinder 2,.

The pen is provided with an actuating mechanism of the following organization for opening and closing the aperture 8. An actuating member 12 is slidably fitted around the reduced diameter part 3 of the inner cylinder 2,, within the annual space 7,. Similarly as in the first example, the actuating member 12 is fixed to a spring member 14- which extend out of the case I, through a slot 15 at the upper part thereof, and a clip- 16 is fixed to the outer part of the spring member 1 4. A compression coil spring 25 is interposed between the stepped shoulder 6,, of the inner cylinder 2 and the actuating member 12 to impart constantly a forward spring force on the actuating member 12.

The pen at its front end is provided with a mechanism of the following organization for opening and closing the aperture 8 and opening 11. The closing member in this example is a shutter member 26 having a body 67 formed from a long and narrow metal strip and a front upper end 68 adapted to cover and close the front opening 11,, as shown in FIG. 12

The front end part 1% of the inner cylinder 2, is provided along the front and lower outer surface thereof with guide grooves 69 and 70 respectively having widths approximately equal to the widths of body 67 and front upper end 68 of the shutter member 26 for guiding the body 67 and end 68 as the shutter member 26,, is actuated and moved in a path along the lower and front outer side of the front end part 10 The guide groove 70 has a length suflicient for the end 63 of the shutter member 26 to move to a position at which the front opening 11,, of the inner cylinder 2,, is fully opened.

The body 67 and front upper end 68 of the shutter member 26 are respectively inserted slidable in the guide grooves 69 and 70, and the rear end 71 of the shutter member 26 is connected to the lower part of the actuating member 12 by a means similar to that whereby the rear end 23 of the connecting member 21 of the aforedescribed first example is connected to the actuating member 12. Since the actuating member 12 is elastically urged forward by the coil spring 25,,, the front upper end 68 of the shutter member 26,, is normally in abutment against a stepped part 72 of the guide :groove 70 thereby to close the front opening 11,.

The writing unit 44 in this example is provided with a writing member, an ink feed member, and an ink reservoir similarly as the writing unit 44 in the aforedescribed first example.

At the time of writing, the pen is tilted so that the writing end points downward, and clip 16 is pushed rearward, i.e., in the direction indicated by arrow B in FIG. 11, whereupon actuating member 12 and shutter member 26,, are also moved in the same direction. In this manner, front upper end 68 of shutter member 26,, is drawn to open fully the front opening 11,, so that the forward movement of writing 'unit 44,, toward aperture 8 will not be obstructed because of contact of feed bar holding cylinder 47 and nib 57 against end 68 of shutter member 26,,

Nib 57 is then projected forward and out through opening 11 and aperture =8, and the front end face 63 of feed bar cover 45 abuts against a stepped part 64,, provided in inner cylinder 2,,, whereby the forward movement of writing unit 44,, is stopped.

Clip 16 is then released from its rearwardly displaced position, whereupon actuating member 12 moves forward. Simultaneously, an engagement part 65 of fiat shape provided at the extreme end of front upper end 68 of shutter member 26 abuts against and engages with an engagement part 66,, of stepped shape provided at the lower part of feed bar holding cylinder 2-7 thereby to lock writing unit 44 whereupon the fountain pen is placed in a state of readiness for writing as indicated in FIG. 13.

The nib 57 of writing unit 44 is retracted into inner cylinder 2 by first moving clip 16 rearward, whereupon shutter member 26 moves in the same direction as described above, and engagement part 65 of front upper end 68 disengages from engagement part 66.,. The pen is tilted so that its writing end points upward, whereupon writing unit '44,, slides rearward, and nib 57 retracts into inner cylinder 2 Clip 16 is then released from its rearwardly displaced position, whereupon actuating member 12 moves forward, and front upper end 68 of shutter member 26 slides forward and up and abuts against stepped part 72 thereby to close fully the front opening 11 of inner cylinder 2,,.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departrues from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A capless fountain pen comprising:

a barrel or case (1, 1

an inner cylinder (2, 2 fitted in said case and having a front opening (11, 11 at the writing end thereof;

a closing device disposed between the case and the inner cylinder and provided with an openable closing member (26, 26 for opening and closing said front opening;

an actuating mechanism disposed for the most part between the case and the inner cylinder and having an actuating member (12) manipulable from outside of the case to actuate said closing member in opening and closing operation; and

a writing unit (44, 44 comprising, in integral combination,

a writing member including a pen nib (57), an ink reservoir member, (49), and

an ink feed member for feeding ink from the reservoir member to the writing member,

said writing unit being slidably disposed within the inner cylinder for undergoing sliding movement therein in both longitudinal directions thereof under the force of gravity between a retracted position and a projected position at which said pen nib is projected out of the case through the front opening after the closing member has been opened,

a part of the closing member in opened state being engageable with a part of the writing unit in projected state to lock the same for writing and being disengageable therefrom by manipulation of the actuating member.

2. The capless fountain pen as claimed in claim 1 in which the closing member is a swinging lid (26) swingably hinged at the edge of the front opening of the inner cylinder and actuated in opening and closing operation by a push member (30) connected by and through a connecting member (21) to the actuating member of the actuating mechanism.

3. The capless fountain pen as claimed in claim 1 in which a cylinder (9) is fitted around the front end part of the inner cylinder (2,,), a guide passageway (69, being formed therebetween for guiding the closing member, and the closing member is in the form of a sliding shutter (26,,) of strip form slidably fitted in and guided by and along said guide passageway.

4. The capless fountain pen as claimed in claim 2 in which a cylindrical cap structure (9) having a front end wdl with an aperture (6) therethrough is fitted around the front end part of the inner cylinder (2), said front end wall being forwardly separated from the front opening of the inner cylinder thereby to form therebetween a chamher in which the swinging lid can operate in opening and closing operation in a protected state, the pen nib in projected state extending forward and outward through both the front opening and said aperture.

5. The capless fountain pen as claimed in claim 1 in which the actuating member (12) of the actuating mechanism is connected to a movably clip device (14, 16) of the fountain pen and is thereby actuated when the clip device is manually moved relative to the case.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,203,403 8/1965 Yanagita etal 401-108 3,292,593 12/1966 Furuya 401-407 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,487,263 5/1967 France.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary" Examiner. 

